Hello, guys, it's been a hot month! On with the last chapter of this story (more to say at the end).
"Aerith, can you stop crying already?"
"Seriously, Cloud? You hit me with so much and now you're telling me to shut up? Wow."
Everyone laughed as Cloud reluctantly gave Aerith his shoulder to wipe her tears on before she continued to dig up some dirt with the hand shovel. All the wagons and crates filled with pots of yellow flowers, bags of fertilizers, and collections of gardening tools that Cloud's group of friends had hauled all the way over to the edge of Midgar were finally put to use as everyone pitched in to plant a large flower bed to mark Zack's grave. Everyone was initially surprised that the Cloud Strife was able to come up with such a pretty idea to honor the fallen SOLDIER and his resting place, but none of them hesitated to join his endeavor as they squatted on the bare wasteland and equipped themselves with gloves and shovels underneath the harsh sun rays.
As she dug up the barren dirt of the canyon beside Cloud, Aerith would occasionally giggle as she cuddled against his shoulder, interrupting his work. He didn't question it after the first, second, or third time. However, when she buried her face into her shoulder again for the seventh, he had to question her—he couldn't endure anymore of his friends' suggestive smiles and wiggling eyebrows.
"What's up with you?" he finally asked when she removed herself and began to take out the yellow flower out of its pot. "You're acting kind of funny; did you eat something weird this morning?"
"You think I'm acting funny?" Aerith hummed as she patted the dirt happily with two hands. "What makes you say that?"
Knowing full well that she was just teasing him at this point, Cloud simply rolled his eyes before remaining silent, not wanting to encourage her to do anything embarrassing in front of his friends. However, it didn't matter what he said; Aerith had a completely different agenda on hand. Dropping her shovel onto the ground, she finally released all her contained affections for her lover as she laughed joyously and wrapped her arms around his neck from the side, making him fall backwards onto the ground as the two tumbled away in a puff of dust.
"How many times do I have to say it—get a room!" Jessie jokingly booed as Cloud struggled to get Aerith to sit up with him.
"After rejecting all my suggestions to garden, you're finally planting flowers with me!" Aerith laughed excitedly as she rubbed the side of her face against Cloud's. "I knew you had the gardening spirit within you, but I didn't think this day would ever come!"
"Watch me drop the shovel right now," muttered Cloud as he grudgingly allowed the public display of affection. The frown on his face paired with Aerith's enthusiasm was enough of a contrast to get everyone's spirits up.
"I don't get what you see in him," Barret snorted as Aerith removed herself from Cloud and returned to her work. "Even now, he seems like the most unromantic asshole in Midgar—no, on this Planet."
"He's actually sweet when he wants to be, right, Cloud?" Aerith elbowed his side, prodding him for an answer as he focused on the task at hand. "But you really have to fish it out of him, the romantic side. It's not free!"
"I think it's already romantic enough for Cloud Strife to just allow his girl to talk about him like this," Biggs smirked as he observed the way the blond refused to take any part in their conversation. "Don't bug him too much or else he might start spitting fire."
To say that Kunsel was amused would've be an understatement—he was completely entertained as he watched the dynamic between Cloud and his friends. The Cloud he saw before his eyes was completely differen: entirely reformed. Being able to see his change from a weak, frail boy whose skinny arms couldn't even lift the Buster Sword to a man whose ruthless eyes saw nothing but revenge had pained Kunsel; the responsibilities which Cloud had held himself accountable for were, at the time, too much for such a young man his age. To finally see Cloud be who he was supposed to be as a twenty-three-year-old, from bantering with his friends to finally finding a permanent home filled with loved ones, filled Kunsel's heart with a joy he hadn't experienced ever since Cloud was relieved from his duties as Zack's successor. As he planted the yellow lily into the very grounds where his best friend last took his breath, Kunsel smiled sadly.
Zack… I hope you're able to see all this from the Lifestream—this happiness.
"Cloud!"
Everyone turned their attention towards Tifa as she held onto her stomach and laughed her heart out at the sight of Cloud accidentally snapping a flower at its stem. He cradled the loosely-connected blossom with apologetic eyes as he tried to somehow fix it, only for the poor thing to droop and remain bent—the damage had been done. "C'mon, let's be a little bit more careful handling these things!"
"Sorry," he muttered as he ended the flower's misery and snapped the rest of it off from its friends. He twirled the singular flower between his fingers as he looked at its velvety, yellow petals, admiring its beauty for a bit. The him before wouldn't have even batted an eyelash at nature, let alone a single plant that could easily get crushed beneath the soles of his feet. To see himself now as he held the yellow lily so delicately urged him to think about when he had changed—when he started to care.
But he didn't even need to think—the answer was simple.
With ease, he slipped the flower into Aerith's hair, surprising her as her hand flew up to her head to feel it. Then, she smiled.
"Thanks, do I look pretty with it?" Aerith giggled as she tilted her head at him. Cloud simply shrugged as he transferred the flowers from the pot into the hole more carefully.
"With or without, it doesn't matter," he vaguely answered her, too embarrassed to tell her how naturally pretty she was in front of everyone. Much to his relief, they had had enough fun picking on him as they kept their teasing thoughts to themselves.
It was nearing sunset when everyone finally finished planting all the yellow flowers within the wagons and crates. The scorching sun had finally cooled as light breezes blew gently past them, drying the last of their sweat. They took a few steps back to gaze upon their hard work. With their bright green and yellow colors, the flowers graced the lifeless land surrounding them with their vibrance and vitality, defying the surrounding wasteland.
"Wow, it's so pretty!" Tifa gasped as she saw the product of their collective efforts. "We did a pretty good job despite being amateur gardeners."
"It's because we have a pro here!" Wedge exclaimed as he happily pointed two fingers at Aerith. In response, Aerith smiled happily as she shook her head.
"We all did this together. It's really beautiful," remarked Aerith. Everyone watched as the Cetra flattened her dress a little bit beforegently kneeling in front of the flower bed. Clasping her hands together in familiar prayer, she closed her eyes as she let out a soft hum underneath her breath, eyes closed as she worked her Cetra magic.
"What are they saying?" asked Cloud, being the only one who knew what she was doing. He hesitantly placed a knee on the ground as well as he kneeled next to her, wondering what kinds of things these flowers could say. Everyone else gathered around, curious to know about the fabled language of flowers as Aerith opened her eyes and let down her hands.
"They're really happy," she delivered. She looked up at the skyas the billows of clouds gently floated across its ocean, soft and gentle like the wind that danced with the flowers before them. "It's a new place for them, but I have no worries; they're strong little fellas after all. I'm sure they're going stay here for a really long time."
"We'll make frequent checks! No worries," Tifa grinned as she squatted and gently felt a petal with a finger. "After planting them, we wouldn't want to neglect them. It'd be a shame if they wilted after all our hard work."
"Let's commemorate this day by taking a picture, how 'bout it? C'mon!" Wedge suggested cheerfully as he tookhis phone out of his pocket. Being naturally camera shy, Cloud would have stepped out if not for Tifa and Aerith holding onto both his shoulders.
"Wait a minute—and where do you think you're going, Mr. Merc?" Tifa asked with a raised eyebrow as she assisted Aerith in keeping the swordsman in place. Aerith was more than happy to play along as she looped an arm around Cloud's elbow and tugged him back into the circle of friends. A small, teasing smile played on her lips.
"Mr. Bodyguard, you can't leave just yet; the main star of the show has to be part of the picture!"
"What show?"
Not amused by how the two girls were restraining him, he shrugged the both of them off as he reluctantly detached the sword off his back for space. Seeing how there was no way out of this with the way all of his friends were just staring him down, he succumbed to the pressure as he dug the Buster Sword into the dirt to stand next to the flower bed. Making their way behind the flowers, everyone positioned themselves in a line as Wedge stacked a few crates up together so that he could prop up his phone.
"I'll put it on a five-second counter. Make some room for me!" he hollered. "Ready?"
"We're good!" Biggs gave him the thumbs up.
And so, as the sun shined its last rays across the reddening sky everyone trained their eyes onto the camera as they stood behind the patch of newly-planted flowers, Buster Sword tall and rigid, gleaming in all its faded glory.
And if all of them had tried hard enough, they could've felt another presence with them, standing right by their side with smile wide on his face as the camera snapped a memory of this moment—a moment that none of them would ever forget in their lifetime.
"Alright, are we done now?" Aerith asked as she twirled around in her dress. The sun had finally set behind the mountains; only the light of dusk illuminated the area around them as the moon began to rise. "I swear, if you guys have any more surprises for me, I think I'm really going to have a heart attack!"
"… Let's not have a heart attack then," and without further warning, Cloud pulled out one more thing from the crates to finalize their day: fireworks.
"Cloud, you've really outdone yourself today!" Jessie exclaimed in surprise as she went over to his side and peeked into the crate full of fireworks. "I haven't played with these in ages!"
Curious and excited, Aerith came over as well to see her last surprise, eyes wide as she saw all the sparklers, crackers, and ground spinners—things Elmyra never allowed her to play with back when she was younger. The only thing she could say to voice her shock was, "Why?"
"… Do you remember my second day on the job?" Cloud began to explain as he rummaged through the crates and sorted out all the types of fireworks. Then, he took out a plastic bag of sparklers. "And how we saw a few kids playing with them?"
Aerith took a moment to go back in time to figure out what he was talking about before she nodded. "That's so long ago, though!"
"But I never forgot." Cloud stretched out his hand to give her one of the sparklers, which she took graciously as she peered into his deep, mako eyes. "I never forgot how much you wanted to play with them. Since you never had the chance to before, so… here you go."
Still unable to handle her emotions , Aerith looked at the sparkler in her hands before she brought her arms forth and wrapped them around Cloud's midsection, engulfing him in a proper hug this time as she bounced in suppressed excitement.
"Ooo, Cloud, thank you, thank you! Let's play with them together! What if I burn them all at once—will that make it bigger and prettier?"
"Don't you dare light them all at once," Cloud shut her down instantly as he hugged her back with one arm on her shoulders while the other held the bag of sparklers out of her reach. No one jumped in to help; they merely watched the cute scene in front of them as Aerith let him go and instantly went over to rummage through the small crate for lighters and matches.
"You're surprisingly doting. This many fireworks are really rare."
Tifa appeared by his side as she stuck a hand into the bag and took out a few sparklers. Cloud shot her a quizzical look when he saw six in her hand, but he dare question it; he had faith in Tifa to be smart.
"Topside has a lot of things," Cloud explained simply as they watched everyone go through the crate. Barret had already begun a fiasco as he lit up three ground spinners whose sparkling explosions echoed across the valley "This one was unplanned; I just saw a stand filled with them and decided to make someone's day."
"No wonder," chuckled Tifa. "You really had something planned for the whole day—didn't you think about the possibility of failing?"
"I think I'd explore the Planet again if I failed," he scoffed jokingly yet darkly, but it was a good question. He wasn't too sure what he would have done if Aerith had decided to just call it and rethink her decision to be with him. After investing so much time and energy in getting everything set up—especially the memory scan—he'd probably take a lot of time digesting the failure before even doing anything else.
"Well, you didn't—you can relax easy now!" Tifa rubbed her forehead with her fingers as she gave him a knowing look. "Erase that frown off your face already. Go light some fireworks with Aerith; it seems like she's having some trouble."
Looking over to see what Tifa was talking about, he tried not to laugh when Aerith kept failing to light up the match. Not wanting her to burn herself, Cloud nodded. However, before he left, he made sure to say one last thing to Tifa.
"Really, thanks for today," he said. "Without you, I'm not sure if things would've been as smooth as they were today. You were the main person helping both me and Aerith. It'd take forever for the rest of the gang to actually do something on their own, so really—thanks."
Tifa softly smiled at him as she shook her head. "You got everyone else to thank too. They didn't hesitate to pitch in, so it really wasn't all me."
"Still." Cloud hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder appreciatively, something Tifa tried her best not to return with a hug. He managed a microscopic smile before he left to tend to Aerith, leaving Tifa to stare at his back momentarily before she sighed.
"Maybe Jessie can help set up blind dates for me."
She went over to join Barret's fiasco with the rest of the crew.
"Man, I forgot how loud these things really can be!" Wedge yelled over all the noise. He jumped in surprise and ran away when one of the fireworks popped out of control a little bit before settling back down onto the ground, causing everyone to erupt in laughter.
"Let's not get your ass burned like that one time!" warned Biggs. He didn't make the situation better when he tossed in another lit firework. Kunsel, who wasn't too used to Cloud's friends just yet, had to swallow a lot as he witnessed the wildness before his eyes. But it didn't take him long to get used to it as he joined in on everyone's laughter.
"I don't want to inspect your ass again, Wedge!" Jessie joined Biggs as they recounted that one time where Wedge accidentally fell into a pile of heated coal during one of their camping trips. "I don't want to hear anymore whining about your ass!"
"Stop mentioning my ass like that! You guys are the worst!"
Tifa and Barret chortled as the jokes about Wedge's bottom circulated. Once the ground spinners and crackers ran out, everyone came back to the sparklers to finish the rest of them. From taking pictures to forming letters with the sparklers, everyone's cheers of fun and delight reverberated across the land around them as the flames shined wildly but beautifully.
"Hey, the two of them should join us," Wedge pointed out as he saw Aerith and Cloud squatting over a certain area. They were detached from everyone as they held their heads together, watching the sparklers in their own hands gently streaming their light onto the ground. Without any awareness, Wedge would have called out to the two of them if not for Biggs tugging him back by the elbow.
"Let's not third-wheel, alright?" Biggs smirked before he shook his head and pushed Wedge away, confusing him greatly.
By the edge of one of the cliffs, Cloud and Aerith each held a sparkler in between their fingers as they pointed them downward. Most of the sparklers' initial activity was gone. Now they dimly glowed as their last remaining life spilled onto the ground and bounced off to become microscopic ashes.
"So pretty," Aerith murmured. "Can't believe Elmyra kept me away from these things just because they were dangerous."
"With the way you were handling them earlier, I wouldn't blame her," Cloud interjected as he chuckled a bit. "I would keep them away from you too."
Aerith jokingly shoved his side with her shoulder, nearly toppling him over from his squat before she giggled. "Meanie."
She then sat flat on her bottom before she laid her head onto Cloud's shoulder, beckoning him to join her in another second, Cloud sat down before he gently leaned the side of his head atop hers.
"Tired yet?" he asked. From their view, they could see all of Midgar; its eerie green glow silhouetted the topside sectors. While Shinra was already taken down, it was going to be hard to completely eliminate the use of mako. Luckily, the Midgar Restoration Council had announced their plans to switch to a solar-based energy source, but it was going to take a while before it came to fruition. Better late than never.
"Of course I'm tired! Today was such a big day and I spent all of it under the sun—I really need a shower!" Aerith complained as she pulled at the fabrics at her chest a bit to air out the heat. "But I wouldn't trade this day for anything else."
She pulled her eyes up to look at him, appreciation in every inch of her face as she smiled, "Thanks so much for this wonderful day, Cloud."
"… It was the least I could do," he replied casually, hiding his embarrassment underneath his usual tough-guy , it didn't work on Aerith anymore as she squealed and reached a hand up to pinch his cheeks..
"I know you're proud of what you've done deep down—come brag about it to me."
"You don't know the shit I had to go through," he then said, humoring her as he threw the dead sparkler to the side with the rest of the sticks. "Genesis was sick of my ass, and my friends couldn't stop texting me about how heavy everything was today. It was a total nightmare getting everything together when I'm so tired."
"Okay, I said to boast about it, not complain, you silly goose," Aerith mockingly scolded. She threw her dead sparkler over to the side as well before she brought herself closer to Cloud and brushed her shoulders against his. "You don't need to tell me how much you had to do to set everything up today; I can tell. Want to tell me what motivated you so much?"
"Is that supposed to be a trick question? I…" Cloud struggled to spit out the rest.
"You what?"
"I just really missed you."
Aerith blinked at him as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Even afterthey had made it this far, his inflexibility with words never seemed to fade, especially during times when it mattered. With a sigh, he continued. "The week without you was terrible. The only reason why I hadn't knocked on your door earlier was because I was just busy planning everything."
"You think I wasn't the same?" Aerith half-whispered as she soothingly rubbed the back of his shoulder. "Painting the canvas took up most of my time. My mom staring holes in my back didn't help either."
"Shoot, Elmyra." Cloud had completely forgotten about Aerith's mother and how she had seen him that night during his mako attack. Just his rotten luck. Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about showing his face to Elmyra again.
It didn't help when he realized that he was still getting paid by her too.
"Don't worry, my mom's not as hard as she looks on the surface. Think about her later—let's not end the night with such un-fun thoughts," Aerith laughed as she brought down his hand. She clasped it with her own, making Cloud's heart race a bit from such a simple touch.
"Sure."
Together, the two of them looked up at the stars, admiring their splash against the now-black sky as the night fully settled in. Their friends' cheerful laughter never stopped as they used up the entire stash of fireworks, but the noise seemed muffled in their ears as they sat peacefully with each other, enjoying nature and their time together after a long, excruciating week. With his Buster Sword still lodged over by the flower bed, Cloud relished the feeling of being free from his sword for just a bit.
"Aerith, I got a weird question. I've always wondered."
"Hm, what is it?"
Cloud played with their interlocked hands as he moved them back and forth, making sure he framed his sensitive question right.
"As a Cetra, you said you can kind of feel and communicate with the Lifestream?"
"… Yes?" Aerith wasn't sure where Cloud was heading with this.
"Then are you able to talk to, you know, people in the Lifestream?"
Her mouth opened as she released a silent "ah," now understanding Cloud's curiosity as she gave him a small smile. Letting out a thoughtful hum, Aerith took some time to carefully formulate her answer due to its complexity.
"I can, but at the same time, I can't."
"Mysterious as ever with your powers, hm?"
"Sometimes I don't get it myself," Aerith jokingly retorted. "Most of what I know about my powers and my heritage is from self-experimentation over the years. Some knowledge I got from my mother when I was still with her in Shinra HQ, but I was too young to understand at the time, so she wasn't able to teach me much before she passed away."
"… I see."
"But to further answer your question, the afterlife is kind of a touchy area. There's a strict line that even I can't cross; that's how order is kept on the Planet between the dead and the living. However…" Aerith sighed as she recalled the many times where a soul came to greet her before they fully moved on into the Lifestream, minus a certain someone. "I can sense their presence and communicate with them one last time before they enter the Lifestream. Like a farewell, you know?"
"Did Zack ever say goodbye?" Cloud didn't think twice when he asked the question. When he realized how insensitive that might've sounded, he felt extremely guilty. However, Aerith didn't seem to have a problem with it as she let out a soft laugh.
"Nope. Idiot didn't even come by to say a few things. Because of our strong connection at the time, I was able to sense his passing, but was never able to contact his soul before he left for the Lifestream. Even to this day, I still wonder: why hadn't he come see me?"
"I think I can answer that," Cloud replied. "I'm sure he… didn't want to see you sad." Because he would've done the same if he was Zack despite knowing how Aerith felt about it. "I don't know him too well, but that's probably why—I'm sure of it."
"Perhaps. You're probably right," Aerith chuckled. With her other hand, she drew random shapes and lines onto the dirt as she spoke with nostalgia. "The me back then really blamed him for a lot of things. Like why he never replied to my letters or visited me or brought me out to dates and all those silly teenage things, but now that I'm older, I… I understand a lot more now."
"He couldn't help it. I can stand to testify." The war had been a gruesome era for all, even though he was only part of it for four years. To even hear about the occasional times Zack visited Aerith was already a great surprise; as a first-class SOLDIER, he shouldn't have even had the time to come by, but he must've really condensed his schedule just so that he could have some time with her. "It was bad, especially during the time you guys were together. Shinra managed to make clones of Sephiroth and Genesis, which really extended the were everyone's terror, both of Shinra's troops and the SOLDIER army. Zack really tried his best."
This is what he had wanted to say before, on the night of his mako attack last week, in response to Aerith's reminiscing.
He didn't reply to any of my letters either—not even one. Yet he had the time to come visit me and stuff in secret during down times. I just felt that… he never took the extra step in our relationship, nor did he ever think about me ever during his trips across Midgar.
Aerith had revealed her uncertainty: had Zack really cared about her? Unable to reassure her otherwise at the time, Cloud released his thoughts as they discussed the SOLDIER whose grave they were meters away from.
"After everything that's happened, I think you're right, Cloud," Aerith murmured as she brought herself back to the present. "I felt like I always knew, but never was able to fully accept it. But I think after today, after witnessing through your eyes the things you and Zack had to go through—even if just a little—I understand a lot better now. How much Zack really cared."
"Of course."
"And I'm sure he was here today with us too—to celebrate. And happy to see us all together in his remembrance."
At this, Cloud gave her a questioning look. "Are you… able to sense that?"
"Silly, what did I say about me and the afterlife? Of course not, but there's one thing I forgot to add about the afterlife."
"What is it?"
Aerith stopped drawing shapes on the ground as she held up her outstretched hand towards the sky, viewing the stars between the slits of her fingers. She giggled before she let it fall back to her lap as she grasped onto Cloud's hand tighter, finding great comfort in his presence as she talked about the things she never had the chance to express to anybody before.
"There are moments when I do hear voices of the afterlife. They're souls who have lingering attachments to this world, whether it be regret, revenge, sadness, things like that. Of course, the Planet has to continue maintaining order, so they usually get resolved with time. However, it's sad that that happens in the first place, doesn't it?"
"Is it hard on you?" Cloud couldn't imagine how he would feel like if he was able to feel the presence of the dead like the way she described it. There was death everywhere. In response, Aerith shook her head, greatly lightening his worries.
"Those are very, very rare cases," assured Aerith. "But it happens. And the fact that it's so rare means that most souls are able to enter the Lifestream peacefully. So, knowing that I didn't see Zack today only means one thing."
"He's happy over there," Cloud finished for her, his heavy heart feeling something that wasn't quite sadness. The heaviness was a firm sort of heavy, one that didn't burden, but simply anchored.
"I'm sure he visited us today too; the souls have all kinds of fun watching over the Planet," Aerith giggled. "I wouldn't be surprised if he photobombed our picture from earlier; that's the kind of thing he would do."
"Sounds like he would fit into my group of friends really well," Cloud snorted.
"Haha, yup."
Their conversation about Zack and the Lifestream ended as they resumed their stargazing, content filling their hearts in silence after a fulfilling talk. Things such as the Lifestream made Cloud have hope—hope that all of his fallen comrades were truly at peace and were able to see the results of the rebellion—the freedom of everyone in Midgar and everyone else in the Planet from Shinra.
"I guess this marks the end of your healing regimen?" Aerith laughed, noticing Cloud's calm resolve. "Seems like you've moved on from your mako poisoning after all with that deep-search memory scan, hm?"
"I guess so," Cloud mused. "No more of the weird steps you put me through."
"No, no, no!" Aerith teasingly wagged a finger back and forth, eliciting a confused look from Cloud as she smiled at him. "There's one more step left before you graduate."
"There's a graduation?" he snorted before shaking his head in amusement. "What is it?"
"The final step of the healing regimen: kiss me."
Cloud stared at her in shock before he finally let out his first real laugh of the night—with her by his side, he knew there was going to be an unlimited amount of surprises.
"You want one right here?" he softly asked as he warily glanced back towards his friends.
No one was paying attention.
"Mhm," was the only thing Aerith hummed in response as she turned her head to the side to face him. Automatically, they met in the middle as their foreheads laid against each other, half-lidded as they gazed into each other's eyes, both seas of emotions. .
"You know, I really missed you," he whispered again. His chest fluttered; it had only been a week since they last kissed, but it felt like forever as he felt his mouth tingle in excitement at meeting hers again. "A lot."
"Me too," Aerith breathed, hand placed on his lap as she pulled herself closer.
The two of them leaned forward to meet in a kiss, only to hesitantly pull back a little bit as they shyly met each other's eyes in an attempt to quell the excitement raging through their stomachs and down to their toes. After one more inhale, Cloud didn't wait any longer before he eagerly pressed his mouth against hers, electricity instantly running down his neck and to his fingertips as he grasped onto the back of her neck gently yet firmly.
Aerith exhaled happily through her nose as she kissed him back, lips soft and smooth as they slid against his in a reunion that made her remember the first time they had kissed—so full of love, excitement, and endearment.
Pulling back, Cloud gave one her one last kiss before he sighed in contentment, mind dazed as he viewed the beautiful woman before him. He smiled at her—a real one—before he brought an arm around her shoulders and hugged her.
"Thank you for everything, Aerith. I'm so glad I met you," he whispered, relishing the softness of her hair as he nuzzled it with his nose. "I… love you."
Aerith felt all of her feelings explode simultaneously at her chest as she hugged him tightly back, almost out of breath from his sudden confession. She silently let a few more tears slip through her eyes as she buried her face into his shoulders, smile wide as she nodded happily against him.
"I love you too, Cloud. And congratulations—you're cured."
~One week later~
"So I'm going to be a mailman," Cloud deadpanned, completely unamused as he sat in the bar across from Tifa. The usual din of customers filled the bar as they took their afternoon break from work. With new workers at the bar, Tifa had some time to breathe as she too took her break with Cloud, who didn't look as happy as everyone else in the bar."You're joking."
"Why am I having a sense of déjà vu?" Tifa chuckled as she fondly remembered the day she first gave Cloud the job as a bodyguard. "C'mon, you know me—I hook you up with the best."
"You know, I've lost count of how many times you've said that," he grumbled, not convinced.
"Hey, I landed you the bodyguard job Look at where you are now?"
"That was only one time. The others, I found my ass hauling shit through caravans across the sectors. Now you want me to be a mailman?"
"I didn't say anything about delivering mail, geez. Monsters are still out and about—consider yourself a delivery-orientaed mercenary for the sake of civilian safety, hm?"
"You can't call me a merc anymore if I'm just going to do deliveries. And what exactly am I going to deliver?"
"Just packages and parcels!"
"So I am a mailman," Cloud scoffed. However, even as he put up a fight, he knew he had to take the job; how else was he going to make money? And Tifa knew that too—that was why she was having so much fun with their current conversation.
"Where's my thanks for finding you another stable job? If not for the reputation I've helped you build over the years, I wouldn't have found it," Tifa grinned as she jokingly ruffled his hair. He grabbed her wrist and set it back onto the table, eyes narrowed at the fun she was having.
"When's the first job?"
"That's more like it. You'll be starting tomorrow. I think Marle has a package she wants you to deliver for her relative in Sector 2."
"Sector fucking 2?"
"And another package to Sector 8 on the same day."
"The same day," he repeated, flabbergasted. "Tifa, does it look like I have wheels on me? I have only my two legs."
"Not a problem," Tifa grinned. At the same moment, a text rang her phone, making her smile wider. "Come, I got something to show you."
Curious with what the raven-haired girl had up in her sleeves, Cloud followed her out the door of 7th Heaven and back underneath the sunlight that streamed in between the gaps of the plate above. Before he could ask her what she was showing him, the sound of a loud and noisy engine roared somewhere not far off, approaching rapidly. Before he knew it, a motorcycle had stopped right by the entrance of the bar with Biggs and Jessie riding it.
"Yahoo, did someone call for our services?" Jessie whooped as she garnered everyone's attention along with Biggs. "We're here, baby!"
"What the hell?" Cloud followed Tifa's footsteps as they clambered down the front steps of the bar and greeted the two, whose proud smirks never went away as they sat on the motorcycle. His eyes scanned the thing before he cocked a brow at the two, silently questioning them what this was all about.
"Luckily for you, Biggs had a rusty motorcycle just stored in the back shed of his house," Jessie explained. "Tifa told us about your new delivery job—asked if there was a way to get you moving about without your legs falling apart and time wasted. So…" Jessie handed it over to Biggs, who gave the stupefied merc turned mailman a thumbs up.
"Jessie, Wedge, and I worked together to patch this baby right up. Gave it a new paint job and everything. I think my grandfather called it Fenrir."
"… Are you saying this is mine?"
Cloud blinked, pointing to himself as he took in the sight of the bike.
"We expect thirty percent of your shares for your first twenty deliveries, thanks," Jessie automatically billed him as she hopped off and patted the seat space behind Biggs. "Be glad you got someone like Tifa hooking you up with these sweet deals."
At this, Tifa smiled a sickingly sweet smile at Cloud. He rolled his eyes.
Point proven, he thought.
"Definitely savestime," he muttered in amazement. Maybe delivering things wouldn't be too bad after all.
Biggs turned off the engine as he hopped off the bike. Tossing the keys over to Cloud, he placed his hands on his hips as he jerked his head back. "Take it out for a spin?"
"Well, I have an appointment with Aerith and her mom later toni—" Cloud stopped before he let out a "hm." Then, he fumbled with the keys in his hand. "Actually, sure. Thanks."
"Someone already fell in love," Jessie cooed as she crossed her arms. "Show off to your girlfriend, loud and proud. Rev it up in Sector 5, Buster Boy!"
"Fortunately, I'm not going to be as rowdy as you two," Cloud retorted as he helped moved the vehicle more towards the entrance. "But thanks, guys. This'll save me a lot of pain while delivering.
"Thirty percent for your first twenty deliveries, remember that!"
Evening arrived along with his appointment at Aerith's house. Cloud got onto the bike and rode his way over to Sector 5, glad that he didn't have to take the train this time around. He hoped that some of his nervousness in meeting her would dissipate in the wind that tore at his hair. He was disappointed when it instead increased exponentially the moment he parked Fenrir and took his first step on the grounds of Elmyra's property.
After their day at the edge of Midgar, Cloud had quit his job as Aerith's bodyguard. However, it didn't really mean anything when it was Aerith who had to relay that message to Elmyra. Cloud had been too afraid, dare he admit it, to face the wrath of his girlfriend's mother. So he completely dodged the bullet this time around by submitting his resignation indirectly through Aerith. He knew that not telling Elmyra directly probably made him look bad, but it was what he had to do to prepare his mindset for the eventual confrontation, not as Aerith's bodyguard, but as Aerith's lover. Glad that it only took a week before he finally agreed to a dinner at the Gainsborough residence, Cloud wasn't sure if he was even ready anymore as he hesitantly made his way across the bridge.
But it didn't matter what he felt because he already found himself in front of the door as the back of his fist rapped against its wood.
"Coming!" came Aerith's familiar voice before she swung open the door and propped it open. At the sight of her boyfriend, Aerith smiled happily as she made room for him to come in.
"Hi," he greeted Aerith awkwardly, and when he stepped foot into their kitchen, he was met with the sight of Elmyra, who stopped her cooking to turn around and greet their guest.
"Hello, Cloud," Elmyra said, and it took everything in his power not to wince out of fear. Her tone sounded welcoming, but for some reason, he felt that there was something more behind the façade. He politely greeted her back and followed Aerith's lead.
"We're almost done with dinner—shrimp pasta today!" Aerith said excitedly. It was as if she wasn't nervous as all as she sat Cloud at their table. "My mom makes the best. You're going to love it."
"Haha. Looking forward to it," Cloud said politely, feeling so out of place as he tried his best to look good in front of Elmyra. After the whole disaster two weeks ago with absolutely no explanation, it was the least he could do.
When Elmyra finished cooking and joined them for dinner, Cloud thought it was going to move along smoothly. Aerith had happily talked about her day in Sector 3 as she sold her flowers. Of course, Cloud was there to accompany her, bodyguard or not, but Aerith didn't mention it as Elmyra listened on. Just when he thought, in his naïveté, that the conversation was going to conclude smoothly, Elmyra dropped the hammer.
"So, Cloud, I heard you've decided to quit the bodyguarding," Elmyra noted, almost casually. She twirled some pasta onto her fork as an awkward silence settled between them. Cloud had to clear up his throat with some iced water before he answered.
"Er, yes, I have. I got another job."
"What is it?"
"I'll be delivering packages for people," Cloud said, trying his best to hide his discomfort as he suffered Elmyra's interrogation. "Monsters are still around, and we don't have a secure and safe delivery system right now, so I'll be helping out with that until the Midgar Restoration Council does something about it."
"Sounds busy."
"Yeah."
"I heard you were a past SOLDIER too?"
Cloud gave a glance towards Aerith's direction, only to receive a grin from her as she happily ate her pasta without a care in the world. Wondering if she even knew how he was feeling right now, he slowly nodded as he answered all of Elmyra's questions.
"Yes, I fought during the last four years."
"Must've been really hard for you."
"I'm just glad that it's all over."
"Mom, you're making him uncomfortable," Aerith finally spoke up as she laughed, rubbing Cloud on the shoulder as he pursed his lips a bit. "What did I say about scaring him?"
Elmyra crossed her arms as she gave Cloud an impassive look. "I'm just learning about the man who romanced my daughter on the job."
"Mom!"
Aerith blushed in embarrassment at her mother's directness as she cupped her cheeks with her two hands, containing her squeals as much as possible. Cloud wasn't any better as he felt some nervous sweat drip down the back of his neck—he should've known this was the treatment he was going to get the moment he decided to have a dinner so soon.
"What can you do to make me believe you're not trying to trick my daughter here?"
"Mom."
"Being, um, romantically involved with Aerith wasn't my intention," Cloud lamely explained, feeling the fire under his ass as Elmyra's piercing gaze gave him a fear reminiscent of the SOLDIER clones back in the day. "But, er, some things happened—"
"Some things?" Elmyra drawled, instantly causing Cloud to wave his hands as if he could shoo away the weird thoughts she was undoubtedly having. The shrimp pasta was long forgotten as the three of them tried to find some middle ground.
"No, not just things, we—I just got to know her better and everything." Cloud had never felt like such a bumbling fool before as his mind went into hyperdrive with the words that fumbled so clumsily in his mind. He could feel Elmyra's first impression of him as Aerith's girlfriend fading into a dark abyss as he tried to find his footing again. "I helped her, she helped me… 'round and 'round it goes."
"… I'm not too fond of Aerith dating anyone affiliated with SOLDIER."
At this, Cloud felt his spirits die as he faced the possibility of the greatest rejection of his life. He looked over at Aerith, who now frowned at her mother. However, she didn't say anything as Elmyra glared at him with crossed arms. Was this it? Was this how he was going to leave Aerith's house?
"Because of a certain man in the past, I had to see my daughter go through terrible things." It wasn't a mystery who Elmyra was talking about. "I told her nothing good would come with mako eyes, but she doesn't seem to listen to me, even when I'm saying it for her own good."
"Mom," Aerith urged, this time tugging on her mother's elbow, but Elmyra didn't spare a glance at her as her eyes trained on Cloud's. The only thing he could do to maintain some dignity was keep the eye contact.
"I wanted her to get married to someone modest around here, someone who wouldn't have a dark haunting him. She has had enough burdens, both from her previous lover and her status as a Cetra. A normal life for her is all that I ask for. Do you know what that means?"
Cloud slowly nodded as he let the realization sink in. The entire time, he hadn't even noticed the taste of the pasta in his mouth as he faced the Elmyra's severe disapproval of him. Aerith had assured that their dinner would turn out fine, which was the only reason why he had mustered up the courage to come here. However, he was preparing to leave once Elmyra banned him from seeing Aerith ever again, and it was taking a lot longer than he expected. Not sure how much more he could endure he tightened his jaw as he grasped onto his fork tightly.
"You are the last man I would want for Aerith."
Cloud closed his eyes, nodding slowly as he took in Elmyra's words. This was it.
"Under normal circumstances, I would've cast you away already, but…" Elmyra gently settled down her utensils before she delivered the words that relieved Cloud more than the end of the war. "I heard what you did for my daughter."
"W-What?" Cloud stuttered.
Elmyra sighed as she wiped her mouth with a napkin, plate barely touched as she managed a miniscule smile. Cloud could see the way Aerith visibly relaxed as Elmyra nodded slowly, letting some of the weight of her words sink in before she continued.
"Aerith told me everything that happened last week. With the memory scan and Zack's gravesite."
"O-Oh, she did?" He didn't hear about this. Seeing his confused expression, Aerith simply smiled as she discreetly gave him a thumbs up from underneath the table. Elmyra nodded again.
"I had the great pleasure of watching it too."
"…"
So that's why Aerith had insisted on having a copy of the memory scan.
Cloud had requested a copy of the memory scan that could be played through disc at topside. Despite his jealousy, he wanted something for her to remember Zack by. Of course, getting one wasn't easy—the memory scan contained too much sensitive information about the rebellion for it to be distributed—so Aerith had to actually come up to topside herself to get it using her authority as the "last Cetra on the Planet." That day, Cloud learned that Aerith had the scary ability to access many things simply because she was the last of an ancient bloodline. After securing a copy, he hadn't expected her to show Elmyra so easily.
Embarrassed that his girlfriend's mom had seen the footage, Cloud had to hide half of his face with a hand as he tinged with redness. Elmyra chuckled lightly as her intimidating façade melted away to reveal something more welcoming.. Realizing the reason why Aerith hadn't said much during this entire interaction, Cloud glared at her as his stiff figure relaxed a little bit.
"You were playing me."
"I'm so sorry, my mom just had to get some revenge and scare you," Aerith chortled with mouth wide open. She had to wipe a tear away as her stomach hurt from all the laughter. "Of course, she wasn't too fond that all of this happened behind her back, so she needed to get back at you somehow. Although, I do have to admit—she said a lot of things I didn't expect her to say. Mom! Say sorry."
"Sorry about that, I just needed to vent it out somehow. You won't hear those words from me ever again," Elmyra smiled as her glare thankfully went away.
"It's fine." He released a heavy breath as he felt his nerves settle back down, still processing Elmyra's unexpected soft side. Picking his fork back up as the shock slowly faded away, Cloud continued to eat his pasta so that he could busy himself. Both mother and daughter gave him the air he needed after such a scary confrontation as they smiled at each other and dug in as well. It wasn't long before normal conversations began to spring up regarding Aerith's sales, Cloud's home at Sector 7, their celebration at topside, and such.
"I'm about finished here, you guys," Elmyra announced once she finished her pasta. She took Cloud's and Aerith's empty plates as well before she went over to the sink to wash them. "Go on and hang around as long as you'd like, Cloud, as an apology for earlier. Don't feel too uncomfortable—and don't hurt my daughter."
"You got it, Mrs. Gainsborough," Cloud assured. "The pasta was great. Thank you for having me over."
"Thanks for coming."
"Cloud, Cloud, you said something about a bike in your text messages!" Aerith said gleefully as she stood behind him and jumped up and down excitedly, using his shoulders as leverage. "Did you bring it—of course you did, you came by here so fast!"
"Er, yeah, it's here, but—"
"Let's take her out for a spin!"
"But—"
"C'mon!" and without another warning, Aerith grabbed onto Cloud's hand as she pulled him through the door. The only thing he was able to do was give Elmyra a polite wave before he got dragged out by Aerith. Watching the two young adults disappear out the door, Elmyra simply shook her head as a knowing smile graced her lips.
"Reminds me of when I was young," was all she said to herself before she resumed her kitchen cleaning.
"Ooo, this is awesome! You have to give a million thanks to Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge for this!" Aerith exclaimed as she hopped around the bike to examine every inch of it underneath the moonlight once they were outside. "You owe them a lot more than thirty percent of your shares."
"Yeah, I know," sighed Cloud. "I'm surprised they did this much for me."
"What are friends for?" she giggled as she hopped onto the seat. Then, she patted the space in front of her. "What are you waiting for? Let's go, I'm excited! I've never ridden one before."
"… Sure." Fishing the keys out of his pocket, Cloud swung his leg over as he sat on the seat. Aerith instantly wrapped her arms snug around his waist as she shifted to get more comfortable. Starting the engine carefully, Cloud rolled the bike forward with his two feet before he accelerated.
"Let's zoom!" Aerith hooted as she held up a peace sign up in the air, earning an irritable grunt from Cloud.
"Please, let's stay still or else you're gonna make us both fall off this thing."
"Onward!"
The two of them made their way out of Sector 5 and into a more isolated road to avoid disturbing the neighbors too much. Going at a comfortable speed, Cloud allowed Aerith to take in the sight of the nature before her as tall trees lined both sides, tips brushing against the bottom of the moon that lit up the night sky. These were trees which had been spared the destruction wrought by Shinra. With the side of her head resting against his muscular back, Aerith got comfy as they two of them enjoyed a romantic ride down the straight and smooth road.
"The wind feels really good," Aerith leaned forward and spoke into his ear so that he could hear her better. "Monsters wouldn't pop up out of nowhere, would they?"
"You think I never fought them on a bike before?" Cloud spoke up against the wind as he signaled towards the Buster Sword with a hand. Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge had customized Fenrir by adding a sort of sheath for his sword, knowing fully well that the blond never left the sector without it. "It's a bit awkward, but I can still get the job done."
"Wow, we got a specially-trained, elite SOLDIER over here," Aerith teased as she fully sat back down. "Nothing gets in your way, does it?"
"Unless they want to have a taste of my sword, then yes, nothing," he humored her.
The two of them rode around a little while longer before Cloud figured she had enough of just circling around the same area. Stopping a bit to just take a break and enjoy the still nature around them, Cloud turned towards her as he gave her a small smile.
"Had enough?"
"I wish you had gone faster so that I could feel the thrill," Aerith pouted, "but yes! Thanks for the ride. The scenery around these roads sure is beautiful. Too bad not a lot of people go on them because of the monsters."
"Yup. Are you ready to go back home?"
"…"
Expecting an immediate answer, Cloud frowned a bit when he didn't get one as he raised a brow.
"Aerith?"
"I don't want to go home yet."
Cloud blinked rapidly at her, making sure his ears weren't hallucinating as he tilted his head a bit to the side in question—a habit he had gotten from Aerith. "You want to go around one more time or something?"
Aerith suddenly got shy as her cheeks tinted pink. When she grasped onto his shirt at the back and looked up at him, he was quick to get what she was hinting.
"Um," Cloud shifted in the seat of his motorcycle a bit more so that he could face her a little bit better. "Do you perhaps want to… sleep over?"
Aerith nodded slowly, causing his heart to skip a beat. He then sighed. "But Elmyra—"
"God damn it, Cloud, I'm twenty-four. If I still need my mom's permission for these kinds of things, I'll never get anywhere in the world," Aerith suddenly snapped, surprising Cloud a little bit before he openly laughed and placed a hand affectionately on her head.
"I wouldn't want her to kill me with her eyes every time she sees me afterwards though," Cloud reasoned, but Aerith shook her head.
"It's fine. It'll be an apology for messing with you so bad earlier."
"… My walls are thin."
"I got some magic up my sleeves to deal with that."
"But—"
"Okay, gosh darn it, Cloud, just take me home then!" The embarrassment was clear in her voice as she slapped him across the shoulder for making her say so many unnecessary things. She puffed up her cheeks in another pout. "Just take me home!"
Unable to resist her cuteness, Cloud planted a peck on her lips before he gave her a small smile.
"Let's go back to Sector 7, hm?"
Aerith stared at him before her embarrassment dissipated. Nodding shyly, she wrapped her arms around his waist once more before he revved up the engine and made his way back home.
The magic was instantly cast the moment the door to Cloud's room closed with a final slam. Aerith grasped wildly at Cloud's hair as he kissed her senseless against one of his walls. He blindly fumbled around in the darkness to turn on the small lamp to his room without breaking the kiss for even a second before the two of them tumbled onto his bed, accidentally knocking down the lamp they just turned on onto the floor.
"Wait, that was kind of expensive," Aerith spoke as she detached her mouth from his as she glanced backwards to check for damage. "Let me—"
She didn't get the chance to pick up the lamp before Cloud pulled her down by the neck for another kiss.
"Worry about it later, it's still working," he muttered against her mouth as he flipped onto her back. He hovered over her as the sheets wrinkled beneath them "Unless you want the lights off."
"No, it's okay, I want to see you," Aerith giggled. She propped herself up a bit so that she could remove the ribbon that tied her braid, allowing her soft tresses to unfurl and tumble everywhere. Cloud was quick to dig his hands into their silkiness before he pushed her back onto his bed with a kiss. Ribbon laying forgotten on the floor along with the lamp, the two continued to kiss as their arms wrapped around each other while their legs tangled.
Cloud had meant to ask for permission first before he did it, but his mind had already gone blank the moment they entered his room as one of his hands crept up underneath her dress to feel the skin of her stomach, eliciting a gasp from Aerith as she breathed heavily through her nose. However, she didn't stop him as she relished the feelings of his cool, calloused hand rubbing against her bare skin, igniting fires with every trail he traced with his fingers. Once his hand went underneath her bra, she had to break the kiss to catch some much-needed air; the butterflies that raged against her chest was too much.
"Too far?" Cloud's thinking came back when the kiss broke apart. Right when he was about to slide his hand out, Aerith grasped onto it through her dress to anchor it in place, all the while shaking her head.
"I just haven't done this in a long time, give me a minute," she said breathlessly, emerald eyes glazed over as she drowned herself in the mako in his eyes. Then, she eyed all of his suspenders. "Want to loosen yourself up a little bit?"
She didn't need to say another word as Cloud unhooked his suspenders and threw his stomach brace and pauldron down onto the floor carelessly, still clad in his pants and sleeveless turtleneck. She giggled into his mouth when he met her for another kiss as her own hand dove underneath his shirt to trace the fine lines of his muscles. Feeling amazing things with the way Cloud pressed and squeezed at certain spots, Aerith was about to just take off her dress when Cloud suddenly stopped and brought his body back up to hover above hers.
"Cloud?" she blinked at him under his dimly lit room as she gave him a curious smile. She watched as Cloud gazed at her face, eyes shining brightly as a hand went up to cup her face.
"I love you, Aerith," he half-whispered, surprising her with the sudden declaration in the middle of everything. "I still can't believe you're here with me, so I just… want to look at you for a little bit."
"Cloud…" Aerith nearly teared up as she sat upright and lunged at him in an embrace. Cloud hit the back of his head against the wall as he released a low groan out of pain, but he nonetheless returned her hug as his arms circled around her slim waist.
"Mind giving me a warning?" Cloud murmured as he brushed some hair out of her face. He then buried his fingers in her hair as he combed through it lovingly, eyes never leaving hers as he cradled her in his lap.
"Sorry, I got too excited," Aerith laughed as her own hands played with the ends of his spiky hair. Then, her hands traveled to cup his face, tilting it upward so that his eyes could look straight at hers. "I … I love you too, Cloud." She smiled at him, beauty apparent despite the low lights. "I wouldn't be as happy as I am right now if I never met you. Really."
"And I don't think I would've been able to move on from my past if you never came busting through my door." Then, he eyed the window they built together before laughing a little bit. "Literally."
"It was the only way to get you to listen," she quipped as she tapped him on the nose with a finger. "You were stubborn—you're still stubborn. I'm surprised that you can still shoot fire out of your mouth at me even when we're together now."
"Just because you're my girlfriend now doesn't mean anything's too different," Cloud scoffed as he stopped his finger movements and settled his hands onto her hips. "The only difference is that I get to babysit you twenty-four seven now."
Aerith's jaw dropped, surprised at how he still had the audacity to say something like that despite the lingering romantic atmosphere before she guffawed and slapped him on the side of the arm. "Cloud, you're such a meanie!"
When she mockingly threw a fit and fidgeted on his lap, Cloud let out a small hiss as she grinded against him unintentionally. He had to hold her hips to get her to stop.
"Aerith, you're killing me," Cloud groaned as he lifted her up and got her off. Noticing his awkward movements, she smiled coyly before she grabbed the hems of her dress.
"Do you want to continue what we were doing earlier, or…?"
Cloud blinked once at her before he rolled his eyes.
"That's a dumb question," and he sealed the night with another kiss as they fell back onto the bed. This time, nothing interrupted them anymore as the two bound their love together, forever imprinting themselves onto each other as the night passed passionately around their magic-sealed room.
~One week later~
"Wedge! Can you stop hogging all the meat? C'mon, meat is expensive!" Jessie barked as she waved the tongs threateningly at him. "I haven't even had a single bite!"
"Here, let me take over," Tifa offered. When Jessie gave her a hesitant look, Tifa smiled in assurance. "I've eaten a bit already, so I'll be good for a while."
"Thanks, Tifa, my stomach has been growling!"
Currently, everyone was in front of the Gainsborough residence. Elmyra had invited all of Aerith's friends over for a weekend gathering. The smell of a barbeque wafted delightfully in the air. Wanting to see and meet everyone officially, the middle-aged woman graciously prepared everything for the young adults, supplies and all. Upon a large table were spread trays of various foods, from produce to meat and seafood. Tifa and Jessie manned the grill while Barret and Biggs tried to set up a campire, carefully avoiding boiling all the flowers. Already finished with his duties to set up the table and bring out the chairs, Wedge now lounged around as he picked the food fresh off the grill, eagerly filling his plate as well as his stomach.
"Where the heck are those two? Does it take that long to get drinks?" Jessie yelled, exasperated. Her voice was muffled with the sounds of shrimp. "Don't tell me they took a rendezvous off somewhere!"
"Allow them to take their stroll," Tifa laughed as she flipped a piece of steak. "Apparently, Elmyra sent them to run errands all morning just to get the food. We are the guests today, not them."
"The quality of this food is amazing though," Biggs said as Wedge gave him a piece of the steak. "These definitely didn't come from the slums. They probably had to bring them back from the upper sectors or something."
"Good meat makes for a better campfire!" declared Barret as they finished up the fire. He went over and impaled a few pieces of beef, shrimp, and vegetables with a stick before he hobbled over and grilled his new kabob over the open flames. "Reminds me of the the days when I traveled around too. Nothing beats a natural grill."
"Glad to hear everyone having fun," Elmyra emerged from the house as she brought out more plates, utensils, and napkins. She placed them on the table before she went around to inspect the work everyone had done, chuckling as she watched Biggs and Barret cook their food over a fire instead of a grill. "Don't be shy and eat up. As much as you can."
"Will do, Mrs. Gainsborough! Thank you so much!" Wedge cheered as he gobbled down his plate.
Elmyra looked around as she frowned, hands on hips as her eyes scanned the area. "And where did those two go?"
"They're still getting drinks and stuff," informed Tifa. "They're probably taking their time though, which isn't a problem."
"They better come back soon or else all of this will be gone!" Jessie cackled.
Unbeknownst to the group, the couple was a lot closer than they thought. With bags filled with drinks in their hand, the two stepped foot on to the Gainsborough property after a stroll around the markets.
"Wow, they're really cooking!" Aerith sniffed the air as she let out a hum of delight. "I'm starving! It smells so good."
"It better taste good," Cloud grumbled, tired of all the errands he had to run just to set everything up for their friends. "Who knew Elmyra would show more hospitality towards my friends than me?"
"Oh pooh, she's seen enough of you, that's why," Aerith scrunched her face up teasingly as she clasped her hands behind her back, bag and everything. "She only saw everyone else through brief visits, you know."
"I got the stare down of my life during our dinner while everyone else gets a whole barbeque party instead—seems fair."
"Once the food gets into your stomach, you'll stop complaining."
When the two reached the familiar bridge that led to her house, Aerith suddenly stopped in her tracks as a big smile stretched across her face. Cloud stopped with her, interest piqued.
"Something the matter?" he asked.
"This place is really special to me," she giggled as she held her arms out and spun around. The hem of her dress twirled as she spun a few more times before stopping in front of him. When she saw his confused look, she shook her head in mock disappointment. "This is the place where we first met!"
"Oh, you're right." Nostalgia already began to fill his chest as he gazed at the familiar, flowery environment, one that he passed by so frequently. Yet he never stopped to think of it as the place where him and Aerith first met. Now that they took a moment to let it sink, he was unable to believe that it was this very place just a few months ago that changed his life forever.
"Feels like yesterday, doesn't it? When we first met?" Aerith hummed as she bent down to caress one of her beloved flowers. "You were so scary! With the Buster Sword and everything. Oh, and that glare. You really didn't want to come here that day, did you?"
"Not going to lie about that," he chuckled as he crossed his arms and remembered the very day he first laid eyes on her. "I just wanted the job to be done for the day so that I could just go back home."
"Even when you laid eyes on pretty little me?"
Cloud rolled her eyes when Aerith mockingly held a hand against her cheek and batted her eyelashes excessively.
"Even when I laid eyes on pretty little you," he humored her.
Aerith's laugh joyously rung in the air as she stood right back up and dusted her dress with her hands.
"Hello, how may I help you?"
Cloud gave her a bizarre look as she tilted her head at him cutely, not understanding what she was saying. When she repeated it while raising her eyebrows, he caught on with what she was doing as he shook his head in amusement. Nonetheless, he played along.
"Is the Gainsborough residence near here?"
"Why, yes, but what is your business here?"
"I got hired by your scary mom to bodyguard you."
Aerith covered her mouth so that she could hold in her laughter, but she didn't break the act. "Bodyguard? I never heard of this! What in the world do I need protection from?"
"Yourself."
"Okay, you're so not funny," Aerith playfully pushed him by the shoulder for his lack of cooperation "You're making me sound like a doofus here."
"You're not wrong."
Cloud's witty façade broke into laughter when Aerith shook him by the shoulders in feigned frustration as she attempted to let out a yell of anguish, only to fail as she laughed with him instead. Shaking her head, she put some distance between them before she wagged her index finger knowingly in front of his face.
"I swear, you're only like this because you just want to put up a front, huh?"
Cloud quirked an eyebrow up in question. "A front for?"
"A front to remain calm and collected! I throw you off course too much with my antics, don't I? You can't keep up with me otherwise!" Aerith triumphantly pushed a finger against his chest as she stuck her tongue out. Before she could remove herself and walk away with the victory in their banter, Cloud reached a hand out and grabbed onto her waist, pulling her flush against his chest as a small smirk played at his lips.
"I'll have to admit—you do throw me for a loop more than I would like, but what can I say? It's never easy. However…"
Cloud leaned his face closer as their noses touched, causing Aerith to erupt into snickers as she enthusiastically wrapped her arms around his neck.
"However?" she urged.
"At the end, I'll always find a way to catch up to you—even if it is never easy."
To finish, Cloud brought his lips down to kiss her, only to stop half-way when they faced an interruption.
"Hey, they're finally back! They're over at the—my eyes!" Jessie jokingly pressed her palms against her eyes once she saw them, hissingin pain, causing Cloud and Aerith to jump apart from each other in surprise and embarrassment. "They burn, they burn!"
"What's going on over here?" Tifa emerged from the bush before she spotted the couple. Happily waving her hand with the tongs in it, she beckoned for the two to come over. While she hadn't seen what had happened between them, she could already guess with the way Jessie had acted so dramatically with her eyes. "Barret and Wedge and Biggs are at it with the food. If you wait any longer, it's gonna run out!"
"Lies!" Cloud hollered back, knowing full well how much food there was, being the one who had purchased it all of it with the bag of gil Elmyra had given him. Nonetheless, he offered a hand towards Aerith, which she grasped eagerly. "Shall we join them?"
Aerith whooped as loudly as she could before she took the lead and pulled Cloud along.
"Let's!"
And together, the two of them rushed across the bridge and towards Aerith's house, ready to remember this day with many more countless ones to come.
~8 years later~
"This tea is tastes absolutely wonderful!" an elderly woman exclaimed as she held three fingertips to her mouth. Her eyes were wide with amazement at the aromatic teacup in her hands before she set it back onto table and clasped her hands on her lap. "Do tell how you brew it—I need something like this to truly relax when I need it!"
"I'd be happy to share with you," her friend said enthusiastically. The two elderly companions enjoyed their herbal tea as they sat in comfy sofa chairs by the window where the sunlight streamed softly, warm and bright. A record player played soft jazz as the women hummed along. When the song ended, the elderly woman stood up to swap the record with another one, only to be interrupted when the doorbell rang.
"Oh, who could it be?" she asked curiously. Her friend thought a moment about who could be visiting before a lightbulb lit above her head as she clapped excitedly. Carefully standing up just so that her back would not get strained, the friend hobbled over with her cane to the front door.
"Hello, I'm here for a delivery for Mrs. Harvey?" the young man announced once the door opened. He looked at the order form before he nodded. "One bouquet of roses and another of yellow lilies?"
"That's right! Thank you so much for delivering right to my door!"
"No worries, that's what we do. Now if you could just sign here." He flipped the clipboard and handed the pen over. "Then your order will be complete."
"Of course, of course!" and she signed the document with a shaky hand before the young man handed her two bouquets of flowers.
"I hope you enjoy them. There's a manual on how to take care of them tucked into one of the bouquets just in case," he tipped his cap a bit as a farewell. "Have a nice day, ma'am."
"You too! Safe travels, young lad!"
The other elderly woman watched as Mrs. Harvey came back from the front door with flowers in her arms this time as she went into the kitchen and fetched a vase. Filling it with water, she settled it onto the kitchen table as she unwrapped the stems from their plastic.
"Flowers! Oh, they're always a beauty to look at," the elderly woman exclaimed in admiration as she reached out a hand to take one out of the bouquet. Twirling the yellow lily in her hands, she took in its beauty as she held it up against the sunlight that came out from the kitchen window. "They're so popular nowadays! I always seem them around wherever I go now."
"That sounds about right," Mrs. Harvey chuckled as she took out a pair of scissors and cut each stem diagonally before plopping them into the crystal vase. "Remember back then? When flowers were near nonexistent around Midgar? Oh, Mrs. Reed, how times have changed. These beauties are everywhere now, from homes to restaurants and stores! Such a joy to have around."
"My grandson's wedding is coming soon," Mrs. Reed remarked as she helped rearrange the yellow lilies with the red roses. "And we were thinking of decorating the reception with these flowers—do you think they'd look good?"
"Why are you even asking? Of course, they'll look fabulous! Look."
Mrs. Harvey lightly felt a petal between her two fingers, feeling its velvety and crisp texture.
"They're so well taken care of. They wouldn't disappoint at a wedding!"
"You think so? Perhaps I can order some for the occasion then. Oh, my memory is getting fuzzy nowadays though," Mrs. Reed muttered as she lightly rapped the side of her head with her hand. "Where can we order these again? It's not too hard, is it?"
"It's really simple, Mrs. Reed! You should definitely check it out. They deliver right to your door too, very quickly. The customer service is absolutely amazing." Then, Mrs. Harvey gently elbowed her dear friend's side as a grin stretched across her face. "The young man who delivers it every time really takes me back to my younger days every time I see him. I heard he's super popular among the young ladies nowadays!"
"Oh, oh, oh, I know exactly who you're talking about! My granddaughter would not stop gushing about him during a family dinner!" Mrs. Reed exclaimed dramatically.
The two elderly women laughed heartily before Mrs. Reed continued. "He's stealing everyone's hearts. However, I heard that he's already taken—and he's been taken for a really long time now. Eight years!"
"Oh my, and so young too!"
"Yup! And I heard his wife is the last Cetra on the Planet!"
"Cetra! Oh, I have not heard that word in such a long time. I didn't know we still had one living today."
"She's the one who grows all these flowers, you see. Oh, I know about this organization, but my old, rusty memory just can't get the name! If you don't mind, please do remind me of the name?" requested Mrs. Reed.
"It's Strife's Flower Delivery Service—don't forget it next time!
~.~.~
A new home that sits at the edge of Sector 5. Green fields of grass and flowers surround it. Quiet and serene—away from the bustling activity of the center of the sector. A familiar old home can be seen in the distance because of the trademark waterfall that sits right next to it. Elmyra Gainsborough currently lives there by herself.
The new home doesn't have much yet. However, furniture will be coming in soon. Paintings are already hung on the wall. In the kitchen. In the living room. In the bedrooms. Buckets of paint sit by the corners of the room. They are going to eventually paint the walls with a new, fresh white.
In the backyard, there are already pots filled with soil and plants. Grape vines wrap around a fence. Beside it is a bridge, which leads to a koi pond. There aren't fish in it yet, but Cloud Strife is in charge of filling it up once he gets to it. He has too many deliveries to complete. The fish will have to wait.
Inside, Aerith Gainsborough is standing inside one of the bedrooms. There isn't much in it yet—only one singular bed and an oak table right next to it. However, like the rest of the house, it will be decorated soon with all sorts of furniture.
But for now, one painted canvas and three pictures should be enough.
Aerith Gainsborough hangs the canvas she had painted eight years ago for her husband above the head of their bed. It is a bit difficult since it is so big, but she manages on her own as she dusts her hands after a job well done. She then goes over to the table, where she neatly arranges the picture frames. She laughs as she holds the picture of her and Zack Fair seventeen years ago, wondering if it is okay with her husband to even have it here. It is a good memory. It would be a shame if it had to go somewhere else. Deciding to worry about its placement later, she leaves it on the table anyway.
The second photo is of all of them standing by Zack Fair's newly-built gravesite at the edge of Midgar eight years ago. Their youthful smiles—minus Cloud Strife's—are a sight for sore eyes. Wondering how eight years could pass so fast, Aerith Gainsborough shakes her head a little bit, reminiscing before she situates the frame on the table.
Finally, the third photo. It is of their wedding a year ago. It is one of the rarer photos where Cloud Strife is smiling. Who knows how much badgering Tifa Lockhart had to do to get him to smile on his own wedding day. Silently thanking Tifa for all she had done to help them set up their delivery service, Aerith Gainsborough kisses their precious wedding photo before she places it with the other three. She is happy to see their room decorated, even just a bit. There will be more photos to join later.
As Aerith Gainsborough walks around their new home. while Cloud Strife is out with his deliveries, she thinks about everything they had gone through to be here today. She thinks about all the money problems they had faced. She thinks about the Geostigma pandemic that had almost taken her husband's life a few years back. She thinks about the debt they had to go through to maintain a seemingly failed business. She thinks about many things—too many to list out.
However, she thinks about them with a smile on her face. There are many unexpected things that can happen in life—things that a person might not ever even think of in their lifetime. However, they happen. They happen to everyone. But there is always a way to overcome it, even though it might be difficult.
After all, it's never easy.
Aerith Gainsborough smiles as she leans her husband's old sword against one of the walls of their living room. It has been a while since he last gripped it. Glad that he doesn't carry it around with him all the time anymore, she pats the blade affectionately before her work phone rings. Eagerly taking it out of her pocket, she picks it up before she says the usual.
"Hello, this is Strife's Flower Delivery Service! What kind of bouquets would you like to order today?"
Fin.
And there we have it guys: the end. Even though this story lasted only around three and a half months, it feels like years since I've written it. All the support I've gotten from this fic has been enormous and unexpected, so I cannot express enough how much joy writing this story for you guys have been, especially during such a devastating time.
FIRST, LET'S GIVE A HUGE THANKS FOR THOSE WHO HYPED ME UP ON TWITTER BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PUMP THIS OUT!
And thank you for everyone who reviewed. They really powered me even when I had writer's block or insecurity. I never had such a big audience reading my work before, so I wouldn't be lying when I say I was scared of your guys' expectations! (I still am right now as you guys let this ending sink). Every chapter felt like climbing up a mountain, so I tried my best to deliver my best work (content wise because lol these typos before my beta reader came in really killed some moments xD).
And thank you for all my silent readers as well and the ones who have favorited it. Just knowing that people have been waiting every chapter since the first one is what kept me writing. Writing 150k+ words isn't easy LOL and I've been known to just let stories hanging, never to complete. When I wrote this final chapter, I really felt a lot of emotions because one, this story is such a huge accomplishment for me as a writer, and two, I felt like I grew up with the characters. And I really hope you guys felt this journey too now that you've finished the ending.
We watched Cloud's journey through his mako poisoning, Aerith's journey in becoming more integrated into human society, and everyone else's as they interacted with these two main leads. Writing the support characters were the most fun; this story wouldn't have been fleshed out the way it had been if not for Tifa's and Jessie's characters especially. Even though not much "active events" happened (most of it happened in their pasts), this story was meant for reflection-to look back and try to move on from the past and such by looking at the present. I'm not going to say that I planned everything out in this story from points A to B to C to D (hell no, I don't got enough responsibility for that xD). But everything has turned out the way I wanted it, so I couldn't have been happier with this end I have presented to you guys!
Sorry for this long ass author's note, I just really want to put in some last words before we really close the book for this story! I love reading every one of your reviews. Thank you for those who followed my twitter and befriended me (because really, I needed some of your guys' energy through this difficult time for all haha). Thank you for those who have sent their kind words about how much this fic made their day every time it updated. I couldn't have asked for a better response.
For those of you who haven't really spoken up, please do leave one last review! It'd be so great to hear everyone's response to this end, especially you silent readers!
I gotta put an end to this author's note or else I'll bore you guys out LOL Follow me on twitter if you haven't already (a) cresciejo for updates and if you really want additionally support me, check out my kofi page on my twitter!
And that's it guys! See you in my next big work :)